Method of generating a three-dimensional map of a lawn and its use to improve mowing efficiency

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for generating a three-dimensional geographical map of a lawn using a mower equipped with sensors for monitoring geographic location, pitch and roll, comprising the steps of: periodically acquiring position, pitch and roll data as the lawn is mowed; transmitting the geographic location, pitch and roll data to a computer processor; and processing the geographic location, pitch and roll data to generate the map. The method is useful for enhancing mowing efficiency and managing the activities of a fleet of mower units.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/066,211, filed Oct. 20, 2014. This prior applicationis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to utility vehicles, and more particularlyto an interactive sensor, communications, and control system for utilityvehicles such as zero turn radius lawnmowers, autonomous groundmaintenance equipment and the like.

BACKGROUND

Applicants herein disclose a method for generating a three-dimensionalterrain map of a commercial or residential lawn, and using the map toimprove mowing efficiencies. This method and the related system may beused in connection with a utility vehicle such as a zero turn radiuslawnmower. Zero turn radius utility vehicles exist today in a widevariety of forms and types, with lawnmowers being among the more common.Typically, the propulsion system for a zero turn radius lawnmowerconsists of an internal combustion engine. The output from the internalcombustion engine is then coupled to one or more pulleys for turning atleast two different drive systems.

The primary drive system of the internal combustion engine is thevehicle traction driver that is responsible for moving the vehicle byconverting the rotary output of the internal combustion engine intorotary movement of the vehicle's wheels. The output shaft of the engineis coupled (usually via a pulley) to the input shaft of a hydraulicpump, which is part of a hydrostatic transmission. The hydrostatictransmission uses the flow of pumped fluids to ultimately turn a geartrain that turns the driven wheels of the lawnmower. The secondary drivesystem is usually a tool driver that includes a pulley that drives atool, such as the blades of a lawnmower. Other tools driven by the tooldriver system can include snow blowers, tillers, brushes and the like. Azero turn vehicle may use a single hydrostatic transmission with twoindependently controllable outputs or two separate hydrostatictransmissions with separate pumps and separate outputs. By independentlycontrolling the first and second outputs, one can independently controlthe operation of the first and second driven wheels.

For example, driving the driven wheels at the same speed in the samedirection will cause the lawnmower to generally move in a straight line.However, by varying the relative speed of the right and left drivenwheels, one can cause the vehicle to turn as a result of this differencein speed. If the wheels are rotated so that one wheel, such as the rightwheel, is driven forward, and the other wheel, such as the left wheel,is driven in reverse, the vehicle will turn on its axis, and as such,have a “zero turn radius” that gives the name to this particular type ofutility vehicle.

Another type of propulsion system is a hybrid propulsion system, whereinan internal combustion engine is provided whose primary purpose is todrive an alternator to thereby generate electricity. The electricity sogenerated is stored in a storage battery. Electricity from the storagebattery is then directed to one or more electric motors. The electricmotors are operatively coupled to the driven wheels through a gearreduction member so that the rotation of each motor rotates a drivenwheel.

Utility vehicles of the type described above have been used for manyyears with generally acceptable results. Nonetheless, room forimprovement exists. Additionally, many utility vehicles are used as apart of a fleet of devices that are operated by mowing contractors, golfcourses, businesses, landlords, universities, municipalities and thelike. The use of such utility vehicles involves management issuesrelating to scheduling the proper utility vehicle for the job for whichit is being used, scheduling operators for the utility vehicles, andperforming maintenance on the utility vehicles. A factor thatexacerbates the management issues is the fact that the utility vehiclesare being operated in the field at the location of the customer, ratherthan being operated close to the company's headquarters. As such, it isoften difficult for management to maintain proper oversight on eventsthat are transpiring during the operation of the utility vehicles. Oneembodiment disclosed herein includes a communications system that isoperable between a vehicle and its operator and between the vehicleoperator and a remote location. The communication system can enable anowner and/or operator of a vehicle to monitor the condition andoperational parameters of the particular vehicle even when it isoperated remotely.

GPS equipment manufacturers have developed several tools to help farmersand agri-businesses become more productive and efficient in theirprecision-farming activities. Today, many farmers use GPS-derivedproducts to enhance their farming operations. Location information iscollected by GPS receivers for mapping field boundaries, roads,irrigation systems, and problem areas in crops such as weeds or disease.The accuracy of GPS equipment allows farmers to create maps with preciseacreage of field areas, road locations and distances between points ofinterest. GPS capabilities allow farmers to accurately navigate tospecific locations in the field, year after year, to collect soilsamples or monitor crop conditions.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the present application, amonitoring system is provided for a utility vehicle, and in particular,a zero turn radius type utility vehicle such as a lawnmower. Themonitoring system includes a processor and one or more sensors that arein communication with the processor, to report on various sensedparameters of the utility vehicle to the processor.

The processor can include an onboard processor having a transceiver fortransmitting information received from onboard sensors. The informationcan be processed by the processor and then transmitted to a near rangeelectronic device, such as a mobile phone, a computer, a portablecomputing device, and the like. This communication can occur througheither a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi type connection. The near range electronicdevice also includes a transmitter that is capable of transmittinginformation to a far range electronic device, such as a remote computer,that may be positioned at a location such as a fleet supervision center,a user's home or a service center for monitoring the location of theutility vehicle.

Another embodiment of the present application includes a data gatheringsystem for gathering information about the location and operation of avehicle such as a lawnmower or other utility vehicle, and acommunication system for communicating sensed information to a remotelocation, such as a supervision center, home computer or service center.This enables other operators who are spatially separated from thevehicle to monitor its activities. For example, by transferring theinformation to a fleet supervision center, a supervisor of a fleet ofvehicles can obtain real time information about the location andoperation of the vehicles. This not only helps the fleet supervisormanage scheduling for a fleet of utility vehicles, but also helps tomanage the personnel operating the vehicles.

A first aspect of the present application includes a method forgenerating a map of a lawn using a mower equipped with a sensor formonitoring geographic location, comprising the steps of periodicallyacquiring geographic location data as a lawn is mowed; transmitting thegeographic location data to a computer processor; and processing thegeographic location data to generate the map.

Features of this aspect can include one or more sensors periodicallyacquiring and transmitting data to the computer processor where the datacan include pitch and roll, speed, velocity, acceleration, power usage,fuel usage, instantaneous power usage, instantaneous fuel usage, totalpower usage, and total fuel usage.

Further features of this aspect can include the mapping of bothresidential and commercial lawns. This may include a map that istwo-dimensional or three-dimensional, or is a contour map, a map storedas a data file, a map displayed on a printout, on a computer screen, ona cell phone screen or on other portable electronic devices. The map mayprovide information about the perimeter of the lawn, as well as thesize, shape and location of non-mowable sections within the perimeter.The map may identify non-mowable sections using text, color code, hashmarks, or a combination thereof.

Still further features of this aspect can include a map which indicatesa recommended mower type, a recommended mowing path, a recommendedmowing path with increased efficiency or safety, a project time, and aproject power or fuel usage. Features can also include a map which canbe transmitted to a handheld computing device, a portable communicationdevice, an operator's cell phone, a laptop, and an onboard processor forstorage or display.

Another feature of this aspect can include an autonomous mower, where amap provides mowing parameters for the robotic mower including a path oftravel and a speed and acceleration along the path for the autonomousmower.

Another aspect of the present application is a method for using aplurality of lawn maps for a client base to efficiently scheduleactivities of a fleet of commercial mower units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic plan view of an exemplary hybrid utilityvehicle, namely a zero turn radius lawnmower incorporating components ofthe systems disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of one embodiment of amonitoring system disclosed herein that can be used in connection withthe vehicle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a method for generating and using athree-dimensional terrain map of a lawn.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of data inputs used to generate a three-dimensionalterrain map of a lawn.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of possible data outputs using the method of thepresent application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows describes, illustrates and exemplifies oneor more particular embodiments of the present application in accordancewith its principles. This description is not provided to limit theinvention to the embodiment(s) described herein, but rather to explainand teach the principles of the invention in such a way to enable one ofordinary skill in the art to understand these principles and, with thatunderstanding, be able to apply them to practice not only theembodiment(s) described herein, but also other embodiments that may cometo mind in accordance with these principles. The scope of the presentapplication is intended to cover all such embodiments that may fallwithin the scope of the appended claims, either literally or under thedoctrine of equivalents.

In the present age, with concerns over pollution and energy consumption,the present application provides time and cost benefits to an individualhomeowner who may mow his/her lawn, e.g., once a week for one-third ofthe year. The invention provides additional benefits for commercial lawnmowing businesses, which may employ a fleet of mowing units.

Commercial and residential lawns can be categorized as ornamental turf.Unlike crop fields, where grasses are considered a nuisance, lawns aregenerally comprised of a variety of grasses largely for aestheticpurposes. While crops are planted and harvested on a seasonal basis,lawns require regular maintenance throughout the growing season. Thismaintenance can include applying herbicidal treatments, fertilizing,watering, and mowing.

Commercial and residential lawns come in a wide variety of sizes. Forexample, residential lots in the US are generally about 1/10 to about 10acres, more often about ⅛ to about 2 acres. According to a recent UScensus report, the average single-family home sold in 2013 was built ona 15,454 sq. ft. lot, or approximately ⅓ of an acre (1 acre isequivalent to 43,560 sq. ft.). Commercial lot sizes typically range fromabout 1/10 to hundreds of acres, depending on the size of the business,its location, and the relevant zoning restrictions.

Commercial and residential lawns come in a variety of shapes fromregular geometric (e.g., rectangular or square-shaped) to completelyamorphous, but are generally somewhere in between. Even where lots aresimilarly-shaped, as in some modern sub-divisions, the mowing surfacescan be quite different due to the presence and location of trees, flowerbeds, gardens, bridges, gazebos, sidewalks, walking paths, patios,driveways, retainer walls, water features, and building structures(e.g., primary dwellings, storage sheds, detached garages, andmini-barns). In addition, lawn topography can vary with the presence ofmounds, hills, ditches, cliffs, banks, streams, lakes and ponds.

Because commercial and residential lawns have unique characteristics,optimized mowing parameters are inherently lawn-specific. The presentapplication discloses methods for mapping a lawn and using this map togenerate best practices for mowing such lawn, and a method of using aplurality of lawn maps for a plurality of clients to efficiently operatea fleet of lawn mowing units for a lawn-care business.

The methods disclosed herein can potentially be applied to any mowertype. FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a riding utility vehicle 100,which by way of example only is a zero turn hybrid lawn mower. Variouscomponents of vehicle 100 can be mounted on and supported by a frame112. In particular, an engine 102, one or more alternators 106, abattery 108, a set of electric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 b, andfraction controllers 120 a, 120 b can be mounted on frame 112. Frame 112also supports a deck 118, which may be of fixed height (relative toground), ground-following, or height adjustable as known in the art.Deck 118 can include mowing blades 119 and is intended to berepresentative not only of blades but of other ground engaging equipmentsuch as brush cutters, aerators, and the like. An operator seat 130 ispositioned above deck 118 and is also affixed to frame 112. Frame 112 issupported above ground by a pair of caster wheels 116 and a pair ofdriven wheels 114.

Engine 102, such as a gasoline or diesel type internal combustionengine, drives the alternator(s) 106 via a belt and pulley assembly 104.Alternators 106 generate electric power to charge the battery 108, andit will be understood that alternator(s) 106 can be replaced with one ormore generators. Battery 108 supplies electric power to a set ofelectric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 b. Electric zero turntransaxles 110 a, 110 b provide rotational output through a pair ofoutput shafts 111 a, 111 b to rotationally drive the driven wheels 114.

Traction controllers 120 a, 120 b can control the speed and direction ofdriven wheels 114 by controlling respective electric zero turntransaxles 110 a, 110 b, based on inputs from an operator (sitting inoperator seat 130). Traction controllers 120 a, 120 b are mounted nearthe rear of vehicle 100 near electric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 baway from engine 102 to aid in cooling, although other locations arepossible. The operator can provide speed and direction inputs through apair of drive levers 132 a, 132 b. Drive levers 132 a, 132 b can connectto a pair of control assemblies 140 a, 140 b via correspondingmechanical linkages 134 a, 134 b. Control assemblies 140 a, 140 b caneach include a mechanical return to neutral (RTN) mechanism 141 and apotentiometer 142 to communicate the position of drive levers 132 a and132 b to traction controllers 120 a and 120 b respectively.

Based on the position of drive levers 132 a, 132 b, potentiometers 142can provide varying inputs to fraction controllers 120 a, 120 b so thatelectric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 b (and driven wheels 114) aredriven as desired by the operator. In the absence of inputs from theoperator, RTN mechanisms 141 can force the drive levers 132 a, 132 b toa neutral position. Front caster wheels 116 react in response to theactions of rear driven wheels 114.

Internal combustion engine 102 contains a downwardly extending outputshaft (not shown), which can serve two functions. The first function canbe driving a generator or alternator 106 that generates electricity foroperating electric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 b that drive drivenwheels 114 of utility vehicle 100. A second function can include drivinga rotatable accessory output device, tool, implement or attachment suchas rollers, brushes, tillers, spreaders, sprayers or other power drivenaccessories.

A common feature shared by many of the mower attachments is that theyare driven by a belt that is coupled to the output shaft of internalcombustion engine 102. The rotation of engine 102 turns a pulley that,through a belt, drives the accessory devices, such as blades 119. Energythat is stored in battery 108 is then delivered by wiring to fractioncontrollers 120 a, 120 b that control the current from battery 108, anddirect the current to the proper components of utility vehicle 100.

The transaxle arrangement shown in FIG. 1 contemplates a singletransaxle being used for each of two driven wheels 114 of a four wheelvehicle. In other embodiments, other numbers and ratios of transaxles todriven wheels are contemplated. Additional details of a vehicle similarin many respects to vehicle 100 can be found in commonly owned U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/693,255, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

Each of the electric zero turn transaxles 110 a, 110 b includes anelectric motor and a gear box that, in most cases, would comprise areduction gear box to maximize the RPM efficiency of the electric motor.The gear boxes are coupled to their respective driven wheels 114. Itwill be understood that such gear boxes are not necessary in allsituations and the internal details of such gear boxes are known topersons of skill in the art.

FIG. 2 shows components of an interactive system of the presentapplication. A utility vehicle, such as zero turn radius lawnmower 100is provided that includes an onboard transceiver 122, a GPS unit 123 anda plurality of sensors 124. The GPS unit 123 is provided for serving asa geo-location device for vehicle 100, so that the location of vehicle100 can be determined at any particular time. A plurality of sensors 124is provided for sensing various conditions and parameters of vehicle100.

An onboard processor 121 is provided for processing the various datastreams fed to it by the sensors 124 and the GPS unit 123. The onboardprocessor 121 may comprise a digital computer, or a small dedicatedprocessing unit that is capable of processing the data that is providedby the sensors 124 and the GPS unit 123.

A preferred onboard processor 121 will have sufficient processingcapabilities to handle the tasks at hand, while being inexpensive enoughto minimize additional costs. Additionally, onboard processor 121 shouldhave appropriately low power draw requirements and should be designed tobe ruggedized to operate in the often harsh outdoor environment in whichvehicle computers operate. To that end, onboard computers such asprocessor 121 should preferably have a casing that is waterproof,dustproof and capable of withstanding temperature extremes.

Onboard processor 121 is in communication with a transceiver 122, whichmay be included as part of onboard processor 121. Transceiver 122 isdesigned to transmit data between the onboard processor 121 and someoutside, near range data processing (computing and/or communications)portable device 125. It should be noted that the near range dataprocessing portable device 125 may be referred to herein simply as“portable device 125” or “portable communication device 125” or“handheld computing device 125.” Preferably, transceiver 122 transmitsdata to and receives data from the portable device 125 via either aBluetooth signal or a Wi-Fi signal. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi type signalswould not entail the expense of employing a “constant on” cellular phoneline. It is also important that transceiver 122 be ruggedized towithstand the harsh environment in which a utility vehicle operates.Examples of such near range data processing devices include mobiledevices that are held, carried or worn by the user, such as smartphones,smart watches, or various computing devices, such as tablets and thelike, which can be incorporated into the vehicle or carried on thevehicle.

A portable communication device 125 can serve several major functions inconnection with the communication system. The first function served bythe portable communication device 125 is to receive information from theonboard processor 121. As many smartphones are capable of receiving eachof Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular phone signals, a smartphone can beemployed to receive either a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal from transceiver122 that is coupled to onboard processor 121. A second function servedby portable communication device 125 is to serve as a processor, oradjunct processor for onboard processor 121.

One way in which the communications system can be configured is toemploy a fairly sophisticated onboard processor that can process thedata received by the sensors 124 and GPS unit 123, and then push theprocessed data onto the portable communication device 125 to displayand/or transmit the data without significant further processing.Alternately, the onboard processor 121 can be a less sophisticatedprocessor whose primary duty is to receive information from the sensors124 and GPS unit 123, and then to transmit it to the portablecommunication device 125. In such cases, the portable communicationdevice 125 would perform the majority of the work in processing the rawdata received by the sensors 124 and GPS unit 123 into a useable formatfor transmission or display. A third function performed by the portablecommunication device 125 is to serve as a display to enable the user toreview the various parameters and data items that are being output to itby the onboard processor 121.

In an alternate embodiment, a display screen is incorporated into theutility vehicle 100, in much the same manner that in-cabin touch screendisplays exist on many automotive vehicles. However, one benefit ofusing the portable communication device 125 as a vehicle display is thatyou reduce the cost of the vehicle, and enable the communication systemof the present application to be more easily and less expensivelyretro-fit onto existing vehicles. In this regard, it will be appreciatedthat many existing vehicles likely do not include displays. Therefore,the use of the portable communication device 125 for displaying theoutput data obviates the need for the user during a retrofit to mount ascreen onto the utility vehicle 100.

In another embodiment, a function performed by the portablecommunication device 125 can be as a user interface to input data intothe onboard processor 121. One example of such input data would includesending commands to onboard processor 121 selecting which particulardata set to display; or, to program the data processor to appropriatelyreceive data from the sensors 124 that are provided on utility vehicle100.

In a further embodiment, a function served by the portable communicationdevice 125 is to serve as a processor of data received by the portablecommunication device 125 from the onboard processor 121. Limitations inthe onboard processor 121 may require that the data processed by theonboard processor 121 and transmitted by the onboard processor 121 tothe portable communication device 125 might be further processed inorder to be in a user-friendly format. The processor within the portablecommunication device 125 may be capable of performing these moreadvanced processing functions.

In another embodiment, a function performed by the portablecommunication device 125 is to transmit data to a remote computer 126.The remote computer 126 may be located at the user's residence, or theutility vehicle owner's place of business, such as a fleet supervisioncenter. By having the capability of transmitting the close-to-real timedata from utility vehicle 100 to the fleet supervision center,supervisory personnel can monitor the operation and condition of utilityvehicle 100 without being forced to travel out to the field to observeutility vehicle 100. Additionally, the data transmitted to the fleetsupervision center can enable fleet supervisors to better monitor theindividual who is driving the lawnmower or utility vehicle 100, to thushelp determine whether the employee is working or on a break; and toalso help determine the efficiency of the operator and other parametersrelating to operation of utility vehicle 100.

FIG. 4 shows representative types of data inputs that can be used togenerate a three-dimensional map of a commercial or residential lawn. Inone embodiment, a lawn mower is equipped with a sensor (such as, but notlimited to, GPS equipment) to at least measure geographic location. Inanother embodiment, the sensor can also measure pitch and roll. Pitchand roll are terms commonly used in aviation. As used herein, “pitch”refers to the amount of front/back tilt of the mower body while “roll”refers to the amount of side-to-side tilt. Thus, at each point on thelawn where a geographic-location data point is acquired, pitch and rolldata can also be acquired.

While geographic location and pitch/roll data are adequate forgenerating a three-dimensional terrain map of a lawn, dynamic datacollection and processing can also be useful to accurately determinetime and cost of mowing a lawn as a whole or on an area-by-area basis.For example, time and instantaneous power usage can be acquired as afunction of position while the lawn is being mowed according to aparticular path of travel. The velocity (or speed) of a mower and itsacceleration (or deceleration) at each of a set of geographic-positionpoints is valuable as well, since features in the lawn which causechanges in lawn mower velocity and acceleration also add additional timeand energy costs to a job.

Another useful sensor measures wheel speed and RPM, providing valuableinformation about speed variations of the vehicle. This information canbe coupled with information from other sensors, such as a GPS device, toprovide geo-tracking data to enable a supervisor or a software programmonitoring the system to determine the particular speed of a vehicle invarious locations on the lawn being mowed. By obtaining and processingthis data, one can determine improved and more efficient work paths foran operator and a lawnmower on a particular plot of land on which theoperator or lawnmower is operating.

The monitoring system can include a GPS unit 123 so that the location ofvehicle 100 can be monitored. As discussed above in connection with thewheel speed data provided by an RPM sensor, the GPS and wheel speed datacan be correlated to provide information about the speed at which thevehicle can operate in the various areas of a plot in which it isoperating. With this information, a supervisor or a software program hasthe ability to determine ways to improve performance, such as by findingalternate routes at which the vehicle can operate more quickly, ormonitoring the lawnmower operator to determine whether the operator iseither moving too quickly to be operating safely, or too slowly to beefficient.

A tachometer or engine speed sensor can also provide valuableinformation about the operation of the vehicle. For example, mostengines tend to have an optimum operating speed, wherein the powerdelivered by the engine per unit of fuel used is optimized, or else aparticular engine speed at which engine wear is reduced and durabilityincreased for a particular engine. By comparing these desired parameterswith actual engine speeds, one can gain insight into whether the engineis being operated efficiently, and whether the operator is operating theengine in an efficient operational range. For example, an overly hightachometer reading might suggest that the operator would be betterserved by running the vehicle in a higher gear, or that the user isdriving the vehicle too quickly to be doing a careful job on the lawnbeing mowed.

A fuel consumption rate sensor is related to the fuel flow sensor, andhelps to provide much of the information discussed above.

An accelerometer can be provided for determining the pitch and roll andacceleration of the vehicle. It is helpful to monitor pitch and rollparameters to help determine both the operational efficiency of thevehicle and also the safety of the intended operation of the vehicle.For example, if a particular device has a maximum acceptable roll angleof 30 degrees from horizontal, the indication by an accelerometer thatthe vehicle is being operated at a 40 degree angle would suggest thatthe vehicle is being operated outside its preferred safety range.

In a case with a lawnmower, the monitor and operator may wish to discussalternate mowing paths wherein the grass to be mowed can still be mowedwithout the lawnmower operating outside the safety range. For example,if driving the mower along the side of a hill causes the vehicle to leanover past its acceptable roll point, the monitor can instruct the userto operate the vehicle by driving up and down the hill, rather thansideways around the hill. Driving up and down the hill may be safer asthe vehicle might be more stable over a greater angle when moving up anddown a hill than sideways around it. Alternately, there may be some hillareas that are too steep to mow with a riding lawnmower safely eithersideways around the hill or vertically up and down the hill and, assuch, should be cut with a walk behind mower or other special equipmentthat is designed for handling such steep hills.

A time sensor may be employed to feed data into the processor. The timesensor can be used to provide information relating to the time ofoperation of the vehicle. This timer might include not only the elapsedtime during which the vehicle is operated, but also the time period inwhich it operates.

The various parameters discussed above can be fed into the onboardprocessor 121. The onboard processor 121, which then processes theinformation and transfers it to a near range display and transmittingdevice, such as a portable communication device 125. It will be notedthat the portable communication device 125 can have a GPS and anaccelerometer. The use of GPS and an accelerometer on portablecommunication device 125 would obviate the need for an accelerometer andGPS to be installed on the vehicle. Many portable devices such assmartphones and tables already have GPS capabilities and accelerometers.

A major purpose served by the portable device 125 is use as a display,processor and programming device. Current smartphones and tabletsinclude significant processing capability. As such, the processingcapability of a smartphone or tablet may enable the fleet operator touse a less expensive, less sophisticated onboard processor for thevehicle, and to employ the processor in the portable device 125 toperform the processing tasks, rather than the onboard processor 121. Assuch, the onboard processor 121 could be a processor that does littlemore than receive the input data from the sensors, and transmit it viaBluetooth or Wi-Fi to the portable device 125. The handheld computingdevice's processor could then process the information into useablereports and displays, and also correlate various parameters, such asspeed and GPS, to provide other useful information to the user.

One way to display the information that is gathered by the sensors 124and processed by the processor is to provide an onboard display (notshown) that is placed on a dashboard or stalk (not shown) that isaffixed to the vehicle 100. Although such a display could be employed ona lawnmower, the need to have the display ruggedized to withstand theharsh conditions normally encountered by the lawnmower, such as rain,snow and the like, would add to the cost of the display. Additionally,many older vehicles exist that do not include displays, but that alreadyinclude electronic sensors, that could, through the application of asuitable processor and programming, be capable of forwarding informationfrom the lawnmower to a portable device 125 for display. On such oldervehicles, it might be cost prohibitive to retro-fit the vehicle with thedisplay screen and therefore might be more cost-effective to rely on thedisplay screen that is already contained within the portable device 125.

To make the display visually accessible to the user, the vehicle caninclude a cradle for holding the portable device 125. The cradle ispreferably positioned somewhere within the user's normal operativeviewing area, so that the user can view the display while operating thelawnmower without taking his head and focus away from the area which heis mowing. Preferably, any such cradle includes a charger to help chargethe portable device 125 so that it does not run out of power while beingused.

A further desirable feature of the portable device 125 is the ability touse it as a programming tool. As such, the portable device 125 cantransmit information to the onboard processor 121, to either program theprocessor to perform certain functions relating to the sensors or thetransmission of the sensed information; or alternately, to program thesensor to perform certain functions with the vehicle 100.

In another embodiment, a near range portable device 125 is capable oftransmitting its information to a remote data processor/display device.One such far range electronic device can include a remote computer 126that is, for example, at a user's home or at a company office whereinsupervisory or monitoring personnel can analyze or monitor theparameters of the various vehicles being used. Alternatively, theinformation can be transmitted to a remote third party 127, such as asoftware developer, licensee or subcontractor.

FIG. 3 provides a diagram of one embodiment of the invention. In thisembodiment, a lawnmower is equipped with one or more sensors, dependingon the parameter(s) to be measured. Using this sensor-equipped mower, anoperator mows a complete mowable surface of the lawn, maneuvering aroundbuilding structures and features. During this mapping phase, the pathchosen by the operator is not critical. In a particular example, theoperator locates the mower at an initial positioning point. Setting themower at the initial position can be utilized to determine the relativegeographic location of the data being collected by the lawnmower. As themower moves about, the sensor(s) acquire data as a function ofgeographic location and transmit the data to a computer processor forstorage in a data file. The computer processor can be located on themower itself or at a remote location. When the lawn, or a sectionthereof, is completely mowed, the data file can be closed and ready forprocessing.

The sensor data set is transmitted to a processor and analyzed usingappropriate software to generate a number of outputs to improveoperating efficiency, some of which are shown in FIG. 5. For example,software can be applied to the data set to convert the geographicposition, pitch and roll data into a three-dimensional terrain map ofthe lawn (e.g., a contour map). The contour map can include theperimeter and contours of the mowing surface along with the size, shapeand position of specific structures and features within and around themowing surface. In a further embodiment, an operator can provide throughdirect input supplemental information by identifying specific structuresand features with the GPS equipment, mapping software and the like.

Other useful outputs can include the total operation time, cost, andprice to cut an entire lawn, or portion thereof; instructions for anoperator regarding the selection of equipment; and instructionsregarding an efficient mowing path. Where the mower is autonomous,mowing instructions can be created based on the previously createdterrain map and initiation of mowing at the initial position point, withmodifications to the path, speed, and acceleration to account forterrain, structures and features on the lawn.

Commercial applications can also utilize a plurality of maps and bestpractice information from a client base to efficiently andcost-effectively schedule the day-to-day activities of a commercialmowing fleet. Best practice information can be transmitted from aprocessor to one or more locations including an operator's handheldcomputing device for display and data storage, a vehicle processor fordata storage and auto control; and a different vehicle for data storageand auto control.

Having described the invention in detail with reference to certainpreferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that variations andmodifications exist within the scope and spirit of the presentapplication.

We claim:
 1. A method comprising the steps of: operating a plurality ofdevices on a plurality of lawns according to a first schedule, eachdevice having at least one sensor wherein the plurality of devicescomprises two or more different types of devices; generating, for eachdevice, a respective map including: setting a positioning point for thedevice; acquiring a data set from the at least one sensor in relation tothe device's orientation, motion and position relative to thepositioning point, the data set comprising (i) pitch and roll data ofthe device, and (ii) data selected from a group consisting of GPSlocation, speed, velocity, acceleration, power usage, fuel usage, andcombinations thereof; transmitting the data set to a processor; andprocessing the data set through the processor to generate the map;determining, based on the generated maps, an operational efficiency ofthe plurality of devices operating according to the first schedule;determining a second schedule for the plurality of devices based on theoperational efficiency; and operating the plurality of devices on theplurality of lawns according to the second schedule.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the generating the map step further comprisesdisplaying the maps on a display device selected from a group consistingof a remote computer screen, a portable communication device, an onboardcomputer screen, and a printout.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thegenerating the map step further comprises generating three-dimensionalcontour maps.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating thethree-dimensional contour map step further comprises providing aninformation set about a perimeter of a respective lawn, and wherein theinformation set includes a size data set, a shape data set and alocation data set of at least one non-mowable section within theperimeter of the respective lawn.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein thegenerating the map step further comprises displaying the map on adisplay device selected from a group consisting of a computer screen anda portable communication device and wherein the displaying the map stepfurther comprises depicting the at least one non-mowable section with asymbol selected from a group consisting of a text, a color, a hash mark,and a combination thereof.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein determiningthe second schedule further comprises selecting the second schedulebased on a parameter selected from a group consisting of operation timeperiod, operation fuel usage, operation power usage, and combinationsthereof.
 7. A system, comprising: a plurality of vehicles, each vehiclehaving one or more sensors, wherein the plurality of vehicles comprisestwo or more different types of vehicles; and a processor incommunication with each of the plurality of vehicles, the processorconfigured to: acquire geographic location data of the plurality ofvehicles as the plurality of vehicles move on a plurality of lawnsaccording to a first schedule; acquire sensor data from the one or moresensors, the acquired sensor data comprising pitch and roll data of theplurality of vehicles; for each of the plurality of vehicles, determinean information set about a perimeter of one of the plurality of lawns,and wherein the information set includes a size data set, a shape dataset and a location data set of at least one non-mowable section withinthe perimeter of the one lawn; generate a plurality of respective maps,each map being based on the acquired geographic location data and theacquired sensor data of one of the plurality of vehicles; determine,based on the generated maps, an operational efficiency of the pluralityof vehicles operating according to the first schedule; and determine asecond schedule for the plurality of vehicles based on the operationalefficiency.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to display the maps on a display device selected from a groupconsisting of a remote computer screen, a portable communication device,an onboard computer screen, and a printout.
 9. The system of claim 7,wherein the processor is further configured to generatethree-dimensional contour maps.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein theprocessor is further configured to display the maps on a display deviceselected from a group consisting of a computer screen and a portablecommunication device and wherein displaying the maps further comprisesdepicting the at least one non-mowable section with a symbol selectedfrom a group consisting of a text, a color, a hash mark, and acombination thereof.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor isfurther configured to acquire sensor data selected from a groupconsisting of GPS location, speed, velocity, acceleration, power usage,fuel usage, and combinations thereof.
 12. The system of claim 7, whereinthe processor is further configured to determine the second schedule forthe plurality of vehicles based on a parameter selected from a groupconsisting of operation time period, operation fuel usage, operationpower usage, and combinations thereof.
 13. A system, comprising: aplurality of vehicles, each vehicle having one or more sensors, whereinthe plurality of vehicles comprises two or more different types ofvehicles; and a processor configured to: acquire geographic locationdata of the plurality of vehicles as the plurality of vehicles move on aplurality of lawns according to a first schedule; acquire sensor datafrom the one or more sensors, the acquired sensor data comprising (i)pitch and roll data of the plurality of vehicles, and (ii) sensor dataselected from a group consisting of GPS location, speed, velocity,acceleration, power usage, fuel usage, and combinations thereof;generate a plurality of respective maps based on the acquired geographiclocation data and the acquired sensor data; and determine, based on thegenerated maps, an operational efficiency of the plurality of vehiclesoperating according to the first schedule; and determine a secondschedule for the plurality of vehicles based on the operationalefficiency.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to display the maps on a display device selected from a groupconsisting of a remote computer screen, a portable communication device,an onboard computer screen, and a printout.
 15. The system of claim 13,wherein the processor is further configured to generatethree-dimensional contour maps.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein theprocessor is further configured to provide an information set about aperimeter of a first lawn of the plurality of lawns, and wherein theinformation set includes a size data set, a shape data set and alocation data set of at least one non-mowable section within theperimeter of the first lawn.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein theprocessor is further configured to display the maps on a display deviceselected from a group consisting of a computer screen and a portablecommunication device and wherein displaying the maps further comprisesdepicting the at least one non-mowable section with a symbol selectedfrom a group consisting of a text, a color, a hash mark, and acombination thereof.
 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processoris further configured to determine the second schedule for the pluralityof vehicles based on a parameter selected from a group consisting ofoperation time period, operation fuel usage, operation power usage, andcombinations thereof.